Sunday, April 25, 2010

No 'Genocide' For Armenia But We're Still "Illegitimate"

As a candidate, Barack Obama repeatedly promised to refer to the almost century-old massacre of Armenians in Turkey as a genocide. But since becoming president, Obama has twice passed up opportunities to do so.

In a statement Saturday, Obama called the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I "one of the worst atrocities" of the 20th century and "a devastating chapter" in history.

The statement, issued as Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent a weekend getaway here in western North Carolina, marked the 95th anniversary of the start of the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. The president called it "a devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people."

Activists and officials from across the spectrum were quick to express disappointment.

Armenian National Committee of America Chairman Ken Hachikian voiced "sharp disappointment with the president's failure to properly condemn and commemorate the Armenian genocide."

Of course, with Obama now on Turkey's side, a classic pincer movement is in place.

1 comment:

Just to correct this news report and all the others - the Armenian Genocide did NOT start in 1915, but in about 1874 when the Ottoman government gave tacit approval to the wanton destruction of Armenian villages. This was followed in 1894 by the murder of members of the Armenian intelligensia in Istanbul and others, CULMINATING in the murder of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 and continuing until 1922.

See http://www.armenian-genocide.org/ottoman.html and http://www.armenian-genocide.org/Education.56/current_category.117/resourceguide_detail.html among others.

About Me

American born, my wife and I moved to Israel in 1970. We have lived at Shiloh together with our family since 1981. I was in the Betar youth movement in the US and UK. I have worked as a political aide to Members of Knesset and a Minister during 1981-1994, lectured at the Academy for National Studies 1977-1994, was director of Israel's Media Watch 1995-2000 and currently, I work at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. I was a guest media columnist on media affairs for The Jerusalem Post, op-ed contributor to various journals and for six years had a weekly media show on Arutz 7 radio. I serve as an unofficial spokesperson for the Jewish Communities in Judea & Samaria.